Zambia: Edgar Lungu to be sworn in tomorrow

Malawi’s vice President, Saulos Chilima is expected to attend Zambia President elect Edgar Lungu swear-in ceremony which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Chilima was delegated by President Peter Mutharika to attend the swearing in of Lungu.

He left today and will return home on Wednesday 14th September at 3: 30 pm through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.

Meanwhile, United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General Steven Katuka has expressed confidence that Chief Justice, Irene Mambilima will not swear in President elect, Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his running mate Inonge Wina tomorrow amid pending court matters filed by the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba in the courts of law, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

Chilima: To attend the ceremony.

In a statement made available to the media today the 12th September, 2016, Mr. Katuka stated that Chief Justice Irene Mambilima is among the best legal minds in Africa and it is common knowledge that she will not swear in President elect Edgar Lungu under the prevailing circumstances where a number of legal issues pertaining to the 2016 Presidential election have not been fully resolved by the Constitutional Court.

He said both Mr. Hichilema and Mr. Mwamba have maintained that Mr. Edgar Lungu and his running mate Inonge Wina, in collusion with the Electoral Commission of Zambia and other known stakeholders stole votes belonging to the UPND and the party have tangible evidence to substantiate the Presidential petition.

Mr. Katuka has since expressed his displeasure in the manner the Constitutional Court handled the petition, stating that concourt handled the petition in a sinister manner as evidenced by the party denied time to be heard or to produce evidence as enshrined in the constitution.

“We would like to strongly and confidently state here that knowing how credible, distinguished and law abiding Chief Justice Irene is, Lungu must forget about being sworn in as Republican President, but instead prepare to face the law because Justice Mambilima understands the law to the fullest” he said

Dr. Mwanga said half of Zambia’s population is celebrating and the other fifty percent is bitter and angry about the failure of the constitutional court to hear a petition.

He noted that the UPND was within its right to pursue a legal path by going to the concourt to present whatever evidence they had and let the matter be decided purely on its merit .

Dr. Mwanga said justice in Zambia has become a bridge too far due to the the path the concourt took which sadly denied UPND time to be heard.

He added that something has seriously gone wrong and national soul searching is called for in a country which has been acclaimed the world over as a beacon of peace and constitutionalism .

Dr. Mwanga also noted the election has left friends and family divided because of irresponsible statements by some of the political leaders who are fueling tribal animosity in a country.

“A deeply divided country is the last thing we want to see at this difficult time. Dialogue at the political level is desperately needed and even if it is promoted by SADC or the AU, to address the deep differences which have emerged and which will not go away on their own”

“Arrogance of power in situations like this will not bring us peace. we need dialogue for the better good of mother zambia, because peace once lost, is very difficult to re-establish as experience has shown in other countries”

“As the old adage goes “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The country faces gigantic economic , social, political and constitutional problems which will require consensus building inside and outside parliament. We still have a very defective constitution which has be exercabated by the rejection of the referendum which would have introduced a new bill of rights” he said.

The electoral commission said Lungu had secured 50.35% in the vote, just over the 50% threshold needed to avoid a second round under a new electoral system.

His main rival, Hakainde Hichilema, who alleges electoral fraud, won 47.67%.